Football Rules - Summary of Changes 2016/2017

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Law Changes 2016/2017

In June 2016 the International Football Association Board (IFAB) made 93 changes to the Laws of the Game. In order to try and prevent your players, management and spectators from problems from not understanding decisions that are made under the changes, here is a summary of those that you will probably see most of:

Kick-off: The ball can now go backwards instead of having to go forward.

Corner kicks: Law has changed - the words state that the ball has to be seen to move, so the old tactic of one player standing on the ball so it is played will have to be changed so the ball is seen to move.

Offside: In the event of a player coming back from an offside position to play the ball, the free kick will be taken from where the offending player plays the ball – even if that is in the opponents half , so you can now be “offside” in your own half!

Foul committed where the offending player has left the field of play: If the ball is in play and a player commits a foul on an opponent then the free kick will be taken from where the ball is rather than a dropped ball as previously. So – if two players chase the ball to the edge of the penalty area , one stops the ball just inside the area but their momentum takes them over the touch line and the defender pulls back the attacker to prevent him getting the ball, the result is a penalty kick!

Goalkeeper moves and saves penalty: Law now says - retake the penalty and caution for the keeper.

Injured player can remain on the field of play after treatment: If the player who committed the challenge that injured the player is cautioned by the referee (there has to be a bit of common sense around this, in that the referee cannot wait forever to caution the offender) .

Denial of a clear and obvious goal-scoring opportunity: As last season, offence committed outside the penalty area offender is sent off. Change in Law this year for offences in the penalty area only, if in the opinion of the referee, the defending player makes a genuine football challenge on a player who is clean through and would have scored then this season the offender will be cautioned rather than sent off. So a trip when challenging for the ball in the area is a caution. A shirt pull, push, handball or a player simply “taking out” his opponent in the area will still result in a sending off.